Keep Your Mind Active in Retirement

One of the healthiest things you can do as you age is to keep your mind active in retirement.  There are many ways you can do this and, if you are willing to use technology, the possibilities are nearly endless.  While everyone is aware of some of the word games and puzzles that are out there, you can also find very clever games that will get you to use your brain in some very creative ways.

Learning new things is a way to keep your mind active in retirement and that can apply new skills such as learning about woodworking, crocheting, quilting, gardening, bridge, chess or even poker.  The key is do it on a consistent basis and explore ways to improve your skills.  Let your interests determine what new games or skills you want to learn.  One of the interesting things I discovered as I examined my past interests was that, at one point, I really enjoyed playing chess.  I had actually bought some books on the subject but, between working and raising a family, that interest died a slow death. I thought back to all the hours I had enjoyed playing this challenging game with people who had the same interest.  I decided to re-visit this old hobby to see if I still had any interest in this ancient game of strategy and boardgame warfare. It didn’t take long to discover all the resources that are available to anyone who wants to sharpen their chess skills.  You can play against a computer or have a virtual game very easily and there are great tutorials that will help you learn no matter what your skill level.

Learning Anything New Can Be a Great Way to
Keep Your Mind Active in Retirement

One of our friends is an avid card player and always wondered what Bridge was like.  Her parents were devoted players and she always wondered what their fascination was about this “mysterious” game.  Needless to say, after a few introductory lessons she was hooked.  Competitive by nature, she is now determined to be a master Bridge player.  She lives in a retired community outside of Chicago where card games are a daily event and Bridge is one of the more popular ones.  So much so that there are two levels of skills.  One level is where anyone can participate, and the second level is where you need to be invited to play and only on a probationary entry level.  We knew that it wouldn’t take long until we got the call that she had been invited to play with the “upper level”.  She is determined to become one of the accepted players within this exclusive group.  To that we say: Congratulations!  You set a goal and you achieved it!  That’s how you keep your mind active in retirement.

The possibilities are nearly unlimited here.  There is no shortage of resources to help you in whatever endeavor you choose to undertake.  It’s totally up to you.  Take a few minutes right now and think about something that you always wanted to do but never had the time for.  That’s what retirement is all about - because now you have the time.  Now you can learn whatever you wanted to learn, and do whatever you wanted to do.  Don’t worry about what other people might think.  This is your life, not theirs.  There are no bad choices here.  You will never, ever see me going to a class to learn Line Dancing but I applaud anyone who chases their dream to be out on a dance floor moving in rhythm to the music.  Good for you!

With the wonders of technology, we can now access information and instruction classes that are absolutely incredible.  Much of it is free but, even if it isn’t, think of it as an investment in yourself.  Think about how much going to a play or a movie costs before you think that a hundred dollars is too much to spend on a course to learn something new.  Learning new things is the best way to keep your mind active in retirement.  And who knows?  You may learn a new skill or craft that will help you earn extra money in retirement.  It’s quite possible and we know many people who have done it.  That little reference to Line Dancing was actually triggered by a couple we know who took this hobby up as a way to exercise and fell in love with every aspect.  Guess who holds a weekly class now with a waiting list to take their four week program?

You can do almost anything that you can think of and spending some time on figuring out what you want to learn is half the fun.  You spent your whole life working and saving to get to this point.  Getting old is not for the faint of heart.  We know our bodies don’t work like they used to.   We can sit and complain or get up off our chairs and learn something new.  Life is far too short not to have a good time.  Keep your mind active in retirement.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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